Prison officer sent ‘flirty’ texts with inmate in illicit relationship

Claire Lloyd, of Bewsey, Warrington, and armed bank robber Andrew Hall fell for each other in Strangeways prison, with the ‘soulmates’ declaring their love for each other.

The female officer lied to hide her forbidden affectionate link with the inmate on her wing and was upset after being called ‘corrupt’ by staff at the jail.

Both are now locked up, having been sentenced at Manchester Crown Square Crown Court today, Friday, with Lloyd admitting misconduct in public office, and Hall pleading guilty to intentionally encouraging the commission of an offence.

Justin Hayhoe, prosecuting, explained how Hall was a prisoner at HMP Manchester serving a 14-year extended sentence imposed in 2015 for robbery and possession of an imitation firearm.

This came after he entered the Royal Bank of Scotland branch in Matlock, Derbyshire, at 2.30pm with his face covered, and demanded cash from staff while holding the imitation gun, which appeared real.

After being given £1,000, he said ‘is that it’, before leaving after being told it was all they had.

Lloyd meanwhile worked at Strangeways, having undergone anti-corruption training regarding the roles and responsibilities of prison officers, in particular contact with prisoners.

“She would have been fully aware that any relationship with an inmate would have been breaching those rules and would have amounted to a criminal offence,” Mr Hayhoe said.

“Nevertheless, she willingly engaged in a relationship with her co-defendant,” with the indictment period being between late April and late September, 2022.

That relationship included 47-year-old Lloyd ignoring that 43-year-old Hall was in possession of a prohibited item, a mobile phone, which she chose not to report or confiscate herself.

Rumours began to spread within the prison that the two defendants were involved in a relationship, with Lloyd going ‘out of her way to quell those rumours’, suggesting she was being ‘victimised’ by other prison staff.

Claire Lloyd outside court. Picture: Steve Allen

She attended two support meetings when she was asked if she was involved in an inappropriate relationship with an inmate, lying and claiming the allegations were ‘malicious’.

Just two days prior to that meeting, she sent a text message to Hall telling him that she ‘loved him’, the court heard.

An incident took place on August 29, 2022, with an alarm activated in Hall's cell. Lloyd attended and found other officers dealing with Hall.

They told her to leave saying the incident was ‘her fault’ and that she was a 'corrupt b***h', which Lloyd took exception to, saying the allegation ‘upset her’.

At a further support meeting, Lloyd began to cry, which the prosecution said was ‘to gain sympathy and deflect away from her actions’.

“That was merely a ruse to try and deflect her inappropriate and unlawful relationship with the defendant,” Mr Hayhoe said.

A police investigation commenced leading to Lloyd's suspension from work a year later on September 28, 2023.

She was arrested as she arrived at the prison for work, with her mobile phone confiscated, to which she gave police the PIN code.

Officers searched her home and found a small amount of cannabis in her bedroom, consistent with personal use.

That same day, officers searched Hall in prison to find his mobile phone, with a handheld metal detector indicating he had secreted a metal object about his person.

He was scanned over several days but refused to give officers what it was he was hiding, and he was later transferred to another prison.

Lloyd's phone was analysed, confirming hundreds of calls between her and Hall's illicit phone between April and September 2022.

The relationship occurred at HMP Manchester, also known as Strangeways. Picture: Google Maps

They occurred day and night, including when Hall was on duty, distracting her from her work, with some calls lasting over two hours.

They also shared hundreds of text ‘flirtatious’ messages, with Lloyd referring to Hall as 'fitty mcvitty', her 'soulmate' and her 'big softy'.

“It was clear that they were engaged in a romantic relationship. The exact extent may never be known, although it is accepted the relationship was not sexual,” the court was told.

“Each regularly told the other that they had found their soulmates and declared love for one another. Some messages were explicit in nature.”

It was also said that Lloyd would send messages referring to her getting undressed, ‘clearly for Hall's benefit’, and how she told Hall that she ‘could not wait to kiss and cuddle him’.

When interviewed by police, she said Hall had helped with problem inmates and their ‘friendship’ grew. Hall refused to be interviewed.

Mr Hayhoe revealed that Lloyd has no previous convictions, whereas Hall does dating back to 1993.

Mitigating on behalf of Hall, Gerald Baxter spoke of how his client was more concerned for his co-defendant’s wellbeing.

“He wants me to say to the court that he is very sorry for what happened. He is devastated that Ms Lloyd is in so much trouble,” the barrister said.

Having been a scaffolder before being imprisoned, he hoped to return to that line of work on his release, and he has completed courses while in jail.

Representing Lloyd, Katherine Wright urged the court to suspend the sentence of imprisonment, highlighting there are ‘exceptional circumstances in her case’.

It was said that the single mum-of-four was suffering from low self-esteem and with her mental health at the time of the offending, as well as traumatic events in her family life, including the poor health and death of close relatives.

Andrew Hall was in prison for robbing a bank

The court also heard of Lloyd’s genuine remorse and insight, how she accepts she made ‘some poor decisions’ and how there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in her case.

The ‘hard worker’ is employed in a call centre after leaving the prison, but was told she would lose her job if she was sent to prison, and she is also a carer for her parents.

Addressing Hall, recorder Andrew McLoughlin said: “The offence you pleaded guilty to is so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified.

“You have a history of being in prison. You know the rules.”

Now of HM Prison Garth, near Preston, Hall was sentenced to nine months in prison, which will run consecutive, or on top of, the sentence he is currently serving.

Turning to Lloyd, Recorder McLoughlin said: “You had undergone the relevant anti-corruption training regarding the roles and responsibilities of prison officers.

“You were also fully aware any relationship with an inmate would breach those rules and amount to a criminal offence.

“You did not report his use of a mobile phone. You were aware of that duty and you paid blind disregard to the fact.

“You knew what you were doing was wrong, but it went on for a period of five months.”

It was said that she was given at least two opportunities by authorities in prison to stop what she was doing, but she chose not to.

Lloyd, of Clap Gates Crescent in Bewsey, was subsequently sentenced to eight months in prison.

Recorder McLoughlin concluded: “Bearing in mind the facts of this particular case, in my judgement, appropriate punishment can only be achieved by the imposition of immediate custody.”